


Cora Got Sick (Full Moon Ficlet #377 - Request)

by JoMouse



Series: Full Moon Ficlets [8]
Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Human, Alternate Universe - Library, Alternate Universe - Radio, Boys Kissing, College Student Derek Hale, College Student Stiles Stilinski, Don't copy to another site, Kissing in the Rain, Librarian Stiles Stilinski, M/M, Mutual Pining, Oblivious, Radio Host Cora Hale
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-25
Updated: 2020-04-25
Packaged: 2021-03-02 03:34:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,568
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23838421
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/JoMouse/pseuds/JoMouse
Summary: Derek is covering for his sister's radio request show and pining for the cute guy that works at the library.Stiles can't keep his eyes off of Tall, Dark and Handsome who spends way too much time in the library.
Relationships: Derek Hale/Stiles Stilinski
Series: Full Moon Ficlets [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1652395
Comments: 16
Kudos: 268
Collections: Full Moon Ficlet Prompt #377: Request





	Cora Got Sick (Full Moon Ficlet #377 - Request)

**Author's Note:**

> Greetings and salutations.
> 
> Okay, these damn things are supposed to be less than 1K. I'm supposed to be working on entries for Sterek Bingo. Of course, this one got away from me...really got away from me. Like I was up until after midnight finishing this before the deadline.
> 
> Big thanks to my beta [Marie](HTTP://quietzap.tumblr.com) for the very last minute beta. It's the only time I'm truly grateful we live so far away from each other. Sometimes, time zones rock!
> 
> I hope you like the story! Let me know!
> 
> xx-Joey
> 
> Don't know 'em. Don't own 'em. Don't show 'em.

“You’re listening to Hale’s Half-Moon Request Hour. We’ll get back to more music after a couple of words from our sponsors,” Derek spoke into the microphone before flipping the switch that started the prerecorded commercials, giving him five minutes to get out of the chair and stretch. 

Pulling the headphones from around his neck, he tossed them on the counter next to the console. He looked up when he heard a knock on the glass between his station and the program manager’s. Groaning, he glanced at the headset and decided to just cross the room and open the door between the two spaces. 

“What’s up, Boyd?” he asked, smirking at his best friend who looked slightly harried. 

The student-run radio station for the university they both attended was more popular than most people had expected when they’d proposed the idea their freshman year and normally Derek wasn’t an on-air personality but his younger sister, Cora, who was the normal host of the request hour had come down with some nasty bug and had begged and pleaded for Derek to take her place until she was well. “It wouldn’t be Hale’s Half-Moon without a Hale at the microphone,” she’d said and despite his objections, he’d given in and taken over.

He didn’t hate everything about it but he would be relieved when she was well enough to come back and take over. “Just got off the phone with Cora,” Boyd said as Derek’s phone buzzed in his pocket.

“No,” he said, without even looking, knowing he wasn’t going to like whatever was on the screen.

“Strep throat and the flu,” Boyd said. “Off at least a week.”

“Dammit,” Derek muttered. “Can’t someone else take over? I’ve got my communications in time of war exam on Monday.” Boyd gave him an unimpressed look because he was in the same class so he was well aware of when the exam was scheduled. “Fine. At least it’s only a couple hours a night.” Boyd averted his eyes. “What?”

“Well, she had tonight’s show prepped for you,” he said. “You’re going to have to choose the requests and queue the songs yourself for the other shows.”

Derek let out a growl as the production director, Isaac, threw a stapler at him and pointed towards the booth. “You could’ve just said something,” he snapped before going back into the booth and slamming the door behind him. He grabbed the headphones off the counter and hit a couple of buttons just as the commercials ended.

“Welcome back to Hale’s Half-Moon Request Hour. I’m Derek Hale, sitting in for Cora who is down with the flu, so if you don’t want to hear me, you’ll have to wait to tune back in next week at the earliest.” He gave a dry chuckle as he queued up the next song and read the dedication on the screen. “So, this is an anonymous dedication. The message says, ‘To tall, dark and handsome that spends way too much time in the library.’” He had to bite back a nasty comment at the genericness of the message and hit play on the song, smiling as one of his favorite songs started playing. It was the one he usually had playing on his iPod on repeat when he studied.

“They might not be creative, but they’ve got great taste in music,” he said to himself as he decided to start working on the next show as the song played.

Stiles sat in his Jeep outside the library. He’d just gotten off shift and had run all the way to the car to catch the radio show in hopes his dedication would be played. He’d been confused at first when he heard the man’s voice on the air until he realized it was Cora’s brother that she talked about on the show all the time. He fist-pumped when he heard his dedication and wondered if Tall, Dark and Handsome would know who he was; he’d gotten a look at the guy’s iPod one day while he was restocking shelves and hoped it was a song that he liked. He’d have to wait and see if there was any reaction the next time he saw him come into the library.

He wouldn’t even have thought of sending a request to the radio station if it hadn’t been for Cora. She’d come up with the idea when he’d shown her the slightly stalkerish photo he’d taken of TD&H one day at the library when he’d been completely bored. After she’d stopped laughing, probably at his epic fail at stalkerazzi photography, she’d insisted he send a request to the show, approving the song and everything, and promised to play it on the next show.

So, despite her not actually hosting the show, the song still got played and the dedication made. The longer he sat there thinking about it as the song played, the more embarrassed he got and for the first time since he’d laid eyes on TD&H, he hoped he never set foot in the library while Stiles was working again.

The next afternoon, Derek pushed open the door to the library, eyes on his phone as he read over the texts from Cora assuring him that she was fine but the doctor wanted her to rest, especially her voice. She followed up with a plea for him to drop off ice cream at her apartment before he went into the station for the show that night. He texted back a middle finger emoji but he knew he’d be making a stop by the store after he was done studying. 

As he made his way to his normal study table, he took a subtle look toward the front desk, ducking his head and grinning to himself when his eyes caught sight of the student that sometimes worked there. At the moment, he was talking to someone as his arms moved around wildly to emphasize whatever he was trying to say, which based on the movements could’ve been anything from the size of a typical wombat to step-by-step instructions on baking a cake. Derek smiled to himself as he sat at the table and pulled out the two books he needed for reference and his laptop. 

He had just put in his earbuds and pushed play on his music when his phone buzzed with a text from his sister.  _ Don’t spend all night at the library. _ He swore she had a tracker on him somewhere because she always seemed to know where he was at any given time. He sent back,  _ Quit stalking me, _ and set his phone to Do Not Disturb as he started work.

A couple of hours had passed when his nose flared, the aroma of oregano and cheese assaulting his sense. Looking up, he spotted a pizza delivery guy at the front desk talking to the cute one who was grinning and taking the pizza box before handing over some cash and waving off the change the guy tried to give him. Derek’s stomach grumbled as he watched the guy open the box and taking a whiff before grabbing a red hoodie off the chair he’d been sitting in.

Derek must have been staring more than he thought because the guy stopped a few feet away and held the box out. “Want some?” he asked and Derek looked around before pointing to himself. The boy nodded and huffed out a laugh while rolling his eyes; it should’ve looked ridiculous but Derek found it endearing.

“No, I’m not hungry,” he lied as his stomach growled again; his voice came out rough from disuse and he had to clear his throat when he was done talking. He debated repeating himself in something closer to his normal voice, but the boy shrugged and headed towards the front door of the library before he had a chance to say anything else. Derek had to make a concentrated effort not to watch him go. 

“Stupid,” he muttered to himself as he checked the time and realized he had to get moving if he wanted to get to the station in time to set up that evening’s show. He sent his sister another middle finger emoji just because and gathered his stuff up to head out, passing the guy sitting on the low wall outside the library, eating the pizza and laughing with a girl with long red hair.

Of course he had a girlfriend, Derek thought. Not that he’d ever have the nerve to make a move. The four words he’d said to him today were more than he’d managed in the two months since he’d first seen the guy at the library and turned it into his favorite studying spot. He was hopeless and he knew it.

Stiles turned on the radio in his room. His roommate was gone for a week with one of his biology courses to study tide pools or something, so he had the room to himself and didn't have to worry about wearing earbuds. Cora’s show was going to be on in a little while and he wanted to listen. Normally he listened to his own playlists, but after meeting Cora in his Music for the Modern Man course and hitting it off, he’d made the exception for her show.

Again, the male voice filled the airwaves when he expected Cora’s and he grabbed his phone, shooting off a text to his friend.  _ Who’s the dude? _

He tossed his phone to the side as he booted up his laptop, preparing himself for a long night of studying. He debated running to the cafeteria to get something to eat, but decided he was still full from the pizza he’d split with Lydia at the library. He was just about to set the productivity timer on his phone when he saw Cora had responded.

_ My brother. Does he suck? _

Stiles chuckled.  _ No, but he’s not you. You alright? _

_ Sick as hell. Set up yesterday’s show. Did you hear your request?  _

_ You don’t listen to your own show? _ He wanted to just call her so he could start typing as they talked, but if she was sick enough to miss work she might not have a voice.

_ Hell, no. The music sux. _

He laughed and sent her a goodbye imagining her laughter and hoping they could get together soon to hang out. She was a fun girl and he loved hearing her talk about her obnoxious older brother who was studying communications and who hated everyone. The radio drew his attention when Derek spoke again, introduced himself and said he’d be covering for Cora for at least a week and he hoped he could get to everyone’s requests since he never imagined so many came in on a daily basis.

Stiles thought about sending in another one for TD&H, especially after they’d actually exchanged words that day; he just had no idea what to say or what song to request. He remembered seeing a Red Hot Chili Peppers button on his backpack once, but it was gone the next day so he couldn’t be sure he hadn’t imagined it. The more he thought about it, the less he was accomplishing with his paper, so he grabbed his phone, set the timer and got to work. The song request was a situation for tomorrow Stiles.

Derek flipped the pen he had in his hand, snorting when it got stuck in the drop tile ceiling. He glanced around to see if any of the people in the director’s booth saw it but they were all focused on screens in front of them. Pulling his phone out, he snapped a photo just before the pen came loose. He managed to catch it just in time to flip his microphone back on in time for the next dedication, the last of the night.

He’d debated for most of the night and even now wasn’t sure he was doing the right thing but no one would know the dedication was from him so he went for it. Taking a deep breath, he leaned closer to the mic, lowering his voice in what Cora used to tease him was his sex line voice, he spoke slowly. “This dedication goes out to Library Nerd and it says, ‘Hope you and your girlfriend had a good lunch, but we would’ve had more fun.’” His finger hesitated above the button as he debated laughing it all off and playing something else, but finally he hit the button and “Don’t Cha” by The Pussycat Dolls started to play. 

He was glad the show was almost over and he raised a hand to wave at the girl who had the overnight shift, he thought her name was Allison but he wasn’t sure. She grinned, a dimple showing in her cheek and he found himself smiling back. He waited as the song finished up, laughing at his own idiocy and when it was done, he quickly signed off and promised he’d be back the following night with more dedications.

He exited the studio, holding the door for Allison who was kind enough to introduce herself and they chatted until Boyd cleared his throat and she hurried to get ready for her own show. Derek gave him a wave and then turned his attention to Boyd who was running a hand over his face, exhaustion in every angle of his body.

“Almost done for the night?” he asked.

“As soon as the McCall kid gets here,” he responded, grinning down at his phone and Derek saw Erica’s face flash on the screen. She was one of Derek’s best friends and Boyd’s girlfriend. She was actually the reason he’d originally gotten a job at the station his freshman year. He’d done the overnight show then but had to drop regular hosting when his schoolwork got to be too much. “Erica and I are going for pizza. Do you want to come with us?”

Derek thought about all the studying he had waiting for him and was about to refuse when his stomach growled and he realized he still hadn't eaten. “I could eat.”

“Excellent. Then you can tell me and Erica who Library Nerd is,” he said, keeping a straight face when Derek gaped at him. “You act like I don’t do my job and go over the show notes beforehand. That dedication and song were definitely not on the original plan.”

Derek opened his mouth to argue when the door opened and Scott McCall came running in, wheezing as he scrambled into his chair, apologies spilling from his lips. Boyd just shook his head and led Derek out of the studio and toward his car, his knowing looks rankling Derek enough that he almost passed on dinner but was grabbed by Erica who was sitting on the hood of Boyd’s car and wrestled into the backseat.

“Your girlfriend is kidnapping me!” he shouted. “Can’t you control her?”

“She was your best friend first and you can’t, so why do you think I can?” Boyd asked, starting the car and pulling out of the lot, ignoring the two of them arguing and laughing in the backseat.

Stiles sat on the tall stool behind the information desk positioned just inside the front doors of the library. He hated when he was working this desk because he had to answer all sorts of questions that people could easily figure out for themselves with a Google search. He also couldn’t occupy himself with homework because he was supposed to greet everyone who walked in the door.

Today it wasn’t as bothersome because he was trying to figure out who Library Nerd was; it had to be someone who worked there or at least spent a lot of time because the radio station was only strong enough to reach up to a mile outside of campus. He’d already had to stop himself from discounting Library Nerd possibly being a woman just because a girlfriend was mentioned. He cursed his own foray into heteronormativity before settling on making a mental list of everyone that walked through the door and whether they had a girlfriend or not.

The library wasn’t very busy that day, surprising with midterms coming up quickly and he was starting to doodle when the doors opened and TD&H walked through, shaking his head to dispel the light rain that had begun falling a couple of hours earlier. “Good afternoon,” Stiles called out and TD&H startled. He gave Stiles a quick grin and ducked his head and he was really too attractive to be that adorable; it wasn’t fair.

“Afternoon,” he whispered as he hurried past Stiles and headed for his usual table. 

Stiles watched him go and when he slipped out of his leather jacket, draping it over the back of the chair, Stiles almost cooed at the thumb holes on the mulberry sweater he was wearing underneath. Damn that asshole for being so cute. He wondered if he was shy or just didn’t want to talk to Stiles when their eyes met and he hurried into his seat, turning his back on Stiles and plugging in his earbuds.

Derek cursed himself quietly as he stared unseeing at the book in front of him. He’d spent his entire life being teased by his family for his awkwardness around anyone he found even the slightest bit attractive. It was a miracle he’d ever gotten Paige to go out with him in the first place in high school, but that relationship had ended when her family had suddenly moved across the country when she’d gotten the first chair in a young people’s orchestra. They still talked every once in a while and he was glad to have her as a friend.

He glanced down at his phone and pulled up the text thread with her and sent off:  _ How did I ever get you to go out with me? _

He set his phone aside but before he’d even let go, there was a response.

_ You played the triangle. BADLY. _

Derek laughed at the memory. Standing in the band room, wanting to apologize for having been a dick in front of the rest of the basketball team and instead of speaking, grabbing the first instrument he could lay his hands on and playing it. You would think that triangle was a no brainer instrument. It wasn’t.

Another text came through.

_ You made me laugh and told me I was pretty. You showed interest in my interests. Just say ‘hi’ to him. _

Derek narrowed his eyes at the phone; he’d forgotten the hours-long drunken conversation he’d had with Paige about Library Nerd until just that moment. His cheeks warmed as he glanced over his shoulder at Library Nerd who was scribbling on a pad of paper in front of him with a pencil while a highlighter hung from his mouth and another pencil rested over his ear. He was so focused that he didn’t even look up when a woman Derek recognized as the head librarian strode up to the desk.

Library Nerd flailed and fell backwards off his chair when the woman rapped on the desk, giving him a very unhappy expression as she crossed her arms over her chest. Library Nerd jumped to his feet, his mouth moving in what must have been apologies as he gathered his things together and vacated the desk, the woman taking his place as he shrugged into a jacket and out the front door of the library.

Derek gave up on studying, knowing it was a mistake, but his brain was too unfocused and he should head over to the station to figure out that night’s show. He was passing by the desk when he overheard the woman complaining to one of the older men who worked at the library. “I’d fire that Stilinski kid if he weren’t a work-study,” she complained. “He’s unfocused and doesn’t take his job seriously.”

Derek wanted to say something, but the man did instead. “He gets his work done and takes extra shifts when he can. Just because he knows how to laugh, Margaret, doesn’t mean he isn’t taking the job seriously.”

Derek added a silent “HA!” to the end of the man’s sentence and was smiling by the time he made it out the doors of the library, stopping when he spotted Library Nerd sitting on the edge of the fountain in front of the building, looking up at the doors.

Just beyond Library Nerd, he saw Boyd making his way across the square, phone pressed to his ear. Boyd spotted him and gave a wave. Grinning, Derek returned the wave and started down the steps to catch up with him when something else caught his eye. 

Library Nerd was looking right at him, wide grin on his face and when their eyes met, he waved his hand a bit wildly. “Hey!”

“Hi,” Derek croaked out in response, clearing his throat and trying again as he got closer. “Hi.”

“Hi,” he repeated, pale skin flushing a bit as he held out a hand. “I’m Stiles.”

“Derek.” He took his hand, shaking it too briefly before realizing he should probably say something else to prove he wasn’t a complete idiot. Plus, Stiles was beginning to look uncomfortable and he didn’t want him to regret starting the conversation. “It’s nice to meet you.”

“You, too. You study a lot,” Stiles said, moving the backpack that was sitting next to him and Derek dropped down, not sure if it was an invitation or not but he was going to take it as such. Stiles didn’t seem to mind as he bumped shoulders with him.

“I’m double majoring in Communications and Computer Sciences,” Derek told him. “This is my last year and I ended up with too many classes.”

“Hey,” Stiles blurted, eyes squinted nearly shut and his head tilted towards him. “Are you Derek Hale? From Hale’s request show?”

His cheeks warmed and he sat on the hand not holding his backpack to keep it from running over his face. “Just this week. It’s really my sister Cora’s show.”

“I know Cora!” Stiles said. “She’s really cool.”

Derek shrugged. “She’s a little sister.” His phone buzzed and he looked down to see the alarm he’d set to let him know he needed to get to the station going off. “I’ve got to get going. Work.”

Stiles’ smile fell slightly. “Oh, yeah, sure.” He stood, picking up his own backpack. “Well, it was nice meeting you. Tell Cora I said, ‘hi’.”

“I will,” Derek assured and reached out to touch his arm as he turned away. “It was nice meeting you. I’m sure I’ll see you around the library.”

“Yeah, and I’ll hear you on the radio,” Stiles said, smirking and knocking a fist against Derek’s shoulder before he took off, hollering out to someone as he went. Derek frowned as he saw Stiles throw his arm around the redhead he’d been eating pizza with the day before.

Despite the disappointment at the reminder of Stiles’ girlfriend, Derek headed to the studio, feeling a sense of accomplishment for having actually spoken to his crush. He glanced down at his phone and sent a text off to Cora, knowing it would earn him a bunch of teasing, but he needed to know more. 

_ Tell me about Stiles. _

That night, Stiles nearly forgot about the radio show when Scott texted him a 911. He’d forgotten his inhaler in his room and was having an asthma attack at his girlfriend’s apartment. Grabbing his keys and the extra inhaler he’d carried with him since high school he made his way to his Jeep.

He’d only been to Allison’s apartment once before but he found it easily and left his car parked in a visitor’s spot. Allison was waiting for him and he barely acknowledged her as he hurried to Scott’s side, holding the inhaler up for him to take a puff. It took two before the tension in his shoulders loosened and he took nearly a full breath. 

Stiles stayed by Scott’s side until he’d recovered fully enough that he felt comfortable moving away. He watched Allison with warily as she moved beside Scott. “You should have one here,” he told her. 

“You’re right,” she agreed. “Thanks for getting here as quickly as you did.”

“I’d do anything for him,” Stiles said. He looked at his phone and noted the time. ‘You need to get to work, don’t you? I can stay with him.”

“I have to work, too,” Scott said.

“Can’t someone else pick up your shift?”

They argued about it for a few more minutes, Stiles only giving in when they agreed that Stiles could come with them and keep an eye on Scott during the broadcast. Stiles offered to drive and when they got into the Jeep, Derek’s voice came over the radio and Stiles smacked his hand on the steering wheel. 

“I missed the show.”

“Didn’t know you were such a fan,” Allison said.

“Cora’s a good friend and…” he trailed off as his brain finally caught up to what had happened earlier in the day. 

“And?” Scott asked.

“And Tall, Dark and Handsome is Derek Hale.”

“What?!” Allison said, her voice nearly a screech and Stiles rubbed his ear against his shoulder. “Didn’t Cora tell you to do the dedication to him? On the day you showed her that stalker pic?”

“Wait. I showed both of you that picture,” Stiles said as they pulled into the parking lot for the station. “Why didn’t you tell me it was Derek?”

“The first time I met Derek was the same day you showed us the picture and it wasn’t a really clear shot of his face,” Allison defended.

“Fine.” Stiles knew he was sounding like a petulant child but he hated being caught by surprise and he hated even more knowing his friend, Cora, played him the way she did. He was going to be having a long talk with her the next time he saw her. He was just glad he hadn’t made a request for that night’s show.

The broadcast could be heard as they made their way through the building and Stiles had to smile at Derek’s voice as he played a dedication from some guy to his girlfriend that was mad at him for cheating. It was amazing he could do it without an ounce of mirth in his voice; if it had been Stiles he’d be laughing and offering his opinion on each and every dedication. As it was, he started giggling and Scott shoved him while Allison shook her head and led the way towards the booth.

Derek rolled his eyes as he read out the dedication. He swore he would never cover for Cora again and sent her a text saying as much. Her response of  _ It’s not like you have a life anyway _ just pissed him off and he vowed to tell Boyd to find someone else to run the show for the rest of the week.

During the last commercial break, he debated going with the request he had on deck or making a dedication to Stiles. He wasn’t sure what he would request but as he imagined Stiles’ smile his fingers hovered over the buttons to make the change. He was about to make the change when movement in Isaac’s booth caught his eye. 

Stiles was standing in front of the glass, waving and grinning before pressing his mouth against the glass and blowing out his cheeks. The laugh escaped him and he nearly missed the end of the commercial break and was still laughing as he announced the last song and did his sign off for the night. Shaking his head when he was done, he rose to his feet and Stiles was walking into the room before he’d taken a few steps. 

“Hey,” he greeted. “So this is where the magic happens?”

“What are you doing here?” Derek asked, mentally smacking himself for being rude. “I mean…”

“I’m not stalking you, I swear,” he answered as he moved over to the control panels, his fingers reaching out and Derek grabbed his hand before he could touch anything. “Wise move. There are a lot of buttons here.” He gently tugged his hands away and shoved his hands into his pockets and ducked his head. “I’m here to keep an eye on Scott.”

“What’s wrong with Scott?” Derek asked, looking over to the booth where Scott was grinning and laughing at something Boyd was saying. “He looks alright.”

“Asthma attack.” Stiles studied Scott, eyes narrowing as he took in his friend’s flush cheeks and shining eyes. He’d recovered more quickly than he had in years from an attack as serious as the one he’d been led to believe he was having. 

He didn’t realize he’d frozen until Derek laid a hand on his shoulder. “We need to let Allison in. You can stay with her if you like, but I should get going.”

He led Stiles out of the studio, letting go to talk to Boyd and making good on his promise to himself to stop covering Cora’s show. He was still arguing with him and about to give in when he heard Stiles’ voice raise and he turned to see him glaring at Scott, one hand held out to flip Allison off through the glass where she was chewing her lip with wide eyes.

“I think we missed something,” he said to Boyd.

Boyd laughed at him and shook his head. “The both of you are idiots,” he said. “I’ll do you a favor and set up the show for you tomorrow but you’re going to have to do the actual broadcast.”

“Don’t make me do this,” Derek pleaded but Boyd shook his head and left the room.

Derek grabbed his bag and saw that Stiles was gone. He glanced over at Scott who was frowning at the computer screen. “I thought Stiles was sticking around?” 

Scott shrugged and tossed a set of keys at Derek. “He forgot these. Can you take them to him? He’s probably standing next to his Jeep being too damn stubborn to come upstairs and get them.”

Derek was too tired to figure out what was going on and he needed to head back to the library to do some more work on the paper he didn’t get finished earlier in the day. He exited the building and saw Stiles leaning against the back of a blue Jeep that had seen better days, phone in hand and a frown on his face.

“Hey,” he said, moving to stand in front of him and hitching his backpack up higher on one shoulder as he handed over his keys. He studied Stiles’ face and frowned. “What’s wrong?”

“I hate being manipulated and lied to,” he said, his voice sharp and bitter leaving a twisting, sour feeling in Derek’s gut. “More than anything. I mean, Cora doesn’t really know that about me, but Scott...Scott’s known me since I was in grade school!” He swung an arm out towards the building and Derek stepped back to avoid getting hit.

Derek thought about his paper as he saw the brightness in Stiles’ eyes. “I was about to get something to eat. You want to come with?”

Stiles stopped the mumbling under his breath that had been continuous since Derek had approached. He looked between the building and Derek. “You don’t have to be nice to me because Scott’s making you.”

“No one’s making me do anything,” Derek told him. “I’m hungry and you look like you shouldn’t be alone right now.”

“Look, I know Scott and Allison are worried about me and Cora probably thinks it’s hilarious that I’m crushing on her brother and had him do a dedication to himself on the fucking radio. And I’m sure everyone is getting a really big laugh-”

He stopped talking when Derek laid a hand over his mouth. “You have a crush on me?” He’d had a hard time keeping up with what Stiles was saying in his rant, but he was pretty sure he’d understood that part correctly. He dropped his hand when Stiles huffed.

“Like you didn’t know. How did you keep a straight face reading off a dedication to yourself?” Stiles snapped.

“A dedication to…” he trailed off as he thought back over the dedications he’d read over the past couple of days. “I don’t understand.”

“Tall, Dark and Handsome?” The sneer on Stiles’ face looked so out of place that Derek had to fight the urge to reach out and push the corners of his mouth up into a smile. “Like Cora didn’t tell you that’s what I call you.”

Derek’s brain short-circuited for a minute before he started laughing. He couldn't have stopped the sound if he tried and he pressed a hand to his stomach when it started to ache just a bit. He sobered pretty quickly when Stiles shoved him and stormed around the Jeep to the driver’s side. “Fuck you,” he hissed as he fumbled with his keys, dropping them to the ground.

“Wait. I’m not laughing at you,” Derek said.

“Sure sounded like it,” Stiles said, dropping to his knees to reach for his keys where they’d landed under the Jeep, but he just rested his head against the door of his Jeep and Derek could see him blinking back tears.

“No. I really wasn’t.” Setting his backpack down, he moved to sit next to the Jeep, leaning back and staring up at the sky so Stiles wouldn’t feel like he was being stared at. “I was laughing at myself because the day after that Tall, Dark and Handsome dedication, I made one of my own.”

Stiles didn’t say anything for several moments but eventually turned his head to look at Derek. “You did?”

“I almost don’t even want to acknowledge that I know the song, but it was a spur of the moment thing. I’m not even sure if you heard it. Part of me hopes that you didn’t.”

Stiles started giggling and moving to sit next to him, their shoulders brushing like they had at the fountain earlier that day. “I think I know which song you’re talking about but I’m afraid to hope.”

“C’mon, Library Nerd,” Derek said, rubbing his hands over his cheeks. “Let’s go get something to eat.”

Stiles watched him climb to his feet and took the hand he held out to him. “I don’t.”

Derek’s face fell, the embarrassed smile fading into a grimace. “You don’t want to go?”

“I don’t have a girlfriend to be hot like you,” he corrected, laughing over the last words. “I do want to get something to eat with you. I’ll drive.”

As Derek got into the Jeep, Stiles looked back up towards the building and saw Scott and Allison at the window for the studio. They both raised their hands in a wave and Stiles shook his head at them but waved back. It would take some time for him to forgive Scott for faking an asthma attack to get Stiles to the radio station when he just had to ask and he would’ve gone. When Derek smiled at him as he buckled his seat belt, Stiles felt his anger at Scott fading slightly.

Derek finished out his week covering for Cora and went into the studio for her first day back, Stiles’ hand in his. He stood back with Boyd shaking his head and laughing as Stiles went off on her, but he was glad the two of them were hugging it out by the end of the conversation; dating someone who didn't get along with your family was difficult. After they were done, he took Stiles out for dinner before they both had to study for upcoming exams.

When he dropped Stiles off, he wanted to kiss him more than anything but he held back, afraid it was the wrong time or the wrong thing to do. He was still struggling to even talk to Stiles, so he just muttered a goodnight and squeezed the steering wheel even harder as Stiles frowned as he climbed out of the car and didn’t look back as he went into his dorm.

The next night Derek was still kicking himself for not kissing Stiles and worrying that he’d completely blown it, especially when Stiles had told him he was going to be hanging out with Scott that night even though Derek knew the other boy was going to have to work. He was blinking back tears as he settled at his normal table at the library. He put his earbuds in because he’d promised Cora he’d listen to the show that night but his heart really wasn’t in it. 

He was ready to turn off the show after the fifth sappy love song in a row, but he’d made a promise and somehow his sister would know if he’d turned it off. He had pretty much tuned it out when he heard his sister say Stiles’ name. Derek sat up straight in his chair and started gathering his books together. He didn’t know if Stiles would actually want to see him, but he wanted to see Stiles. His dorm wasn’t very far, but then he heard Stiles’ voice and changed direction. The station wasn’t very far from the library so he didn’t even need to go to his car. 

“Thanks for the welcome, Cora.” Stiles’ voice was warm in his ears and he quickened his steps. “So, this dedication goes out to Tall, Dark and Handsome from Library Nerd. Hopefully, he’ll know what I’m trying to say.”

“Dorks,” Cora muttered into the microphone before the song started to play and Derek laughed as soon as he recognized it.

His pace picked up and soon he was running across the campus, a light rain started falling and Derek didn’t even care. The song was only a few minutes long and he knew he had to get there before it was over, his heart telling him that this was his chance. He’d missed it the night before but he wouldn’t be missing it again.

“Oh, kiss me beneath the milky twilight,” was ringing in his ears as he spotted the warm glow of the windows from the building housing the studio. The rain had picked up and his shirt was sticking to his skin, hair plastered to his forehead but he stopped in his tracks when he spotted Stiles standing at the top of the stairs.

“Your sister tracks your phone,” he said when Derek sputtered at him. “She told me you were on the way. I hope you’re here to do what I want.”

“I hate singing,” Derek said, the song winding down in his ears but still just enough for him to sing along with, “So, kiss me….”

Stiles grinned and hurried down the steps, the rain soaking him before he even reached Derek, throwing his arms around his shoulders. Derek grinned into his face before ducking his head enough to brush their lips together. He pulled back and brushed their noses together before leaning in for a deeper kiss, the warmth growing between them beating out the cold chill of the air around them and Derek felt settled and thankful that Cora got sick.

**Author's Note:**

> Come say 'hi' on tumblr! I'm josjournal over there.


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